Love or hate Jordan Peterson, the man has a way with words. In this case, he uses his calm yet convincing voice to provide essential life advice to young people. The advice makes sense, and the stories are inspiring. All around, this is a book worth peeking into. Key Takeaways It gives a comprehensive overview of global philosophical thought over the ages. Although pretty wide in scope, this book is basic in depth. It gives only a few paragraphs on each thinker.

When two globally revered spiritual leaders talk, it’s worth paying attention. When they discuss handling suffering as an essential life skill (because suffering is inevitable), you might want to drop everything else and listen for a while. This one probably works really well as an audiobook too. If you’re looking for more joy in your life, get this one. Key Takeaways Ancient Greek philosophers paved the way for philosophy, science, and new forms of societal governance. If we don’t understand our tools, then there is a danger we will become the tool of our tools.” — Rebecca Goldstein The Book in One Sentence We’ve spoken to hundreds of philosophers asking them to recommend the best philosophy books (and explain what’s so good about them in an in-depth interview). After all those conversations, here is a list of our most recommended philosophy books. Many are classics, so if you're looking for books published in the last few years, our carefully curated best-of-the-year lists are the best place to start. We also keep a running list of new philosophy books.Minimalism is one of few modern-day, standalone philosophies. That alone makes this book worth reading. More so, however, it has a chance at making you happier. Caring less about possessions is a wonderful way of making room for what’s truly important in your life, and this book explains this life approach extremely well. Key Takeaways

Admittedly it does give a very nice introduction into each 'group' of thinkers, or rather, each period in history, from a global perspective. A very nice aspect of the book, is that it's not exclusively centred on Western thought, like so many anthologies on thinkers through the ages tend to be. The Art of War is considered the definitive text on military strategy and warfare, written in ancient China around 500 BC, inspiring businesses, athletes, and of course generals to beat their opponents and competition the right way. Why should you read it? The more time you spend thinking about yourself, the more suffering you will experience.” — Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu The Book in One Sentence Rules for Life is a story-based, stern yet entertaining self-help manual for young people laying out a set of simple rules to help us become more disciplined , behave better, act with integrity, and balance our lives while enjoying them as much as we can. Why should you read it? However, I would say that book's title is sort of a misnomer since this is not an introductory book but rather a mini-encyclopedia about philosophers. That being said, this book also fails to summarize the complete thoughts of prominent philosophers, as is expected from an introductory philosophy book. Instead, it delves into one particular idea of each philosopher so much that it ignores his/her contributions in other areas. For example, the entry about Thomas Hobbes entirely discusses his epistemological idea about physicalism, while obviously his political "homo homini lupus" ideas are more famous and influential.What is the meaning of life? What is the Universe made of? Read what our eminent philosophers thought about the nature of reality, and the fundamental questions we ask ourselves. Open-mindedness– Philosophy is all about asking perplexing questions and unraveling the answer. You might not reach a conclusion in the end, but these books are designed to get you to think. It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.” — Vyasa The Book in One Sentence

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” — Sun Tzu The Book in One Sentence What matters, in other words, isn’t what we feel but how we respond to those feelings.” — Donald Robertson The Book in One SentenceThere is no better definition of a Stoic: to have but not want, to enjoy without needing.” — Ryan Holiday The Book in One Sentence If you’re looking for a general introduction to Stoicism, get this book. It covers its historical rise and fall, most important concepts, as well as the best pieces of Stoic advice. A great overview of this resurgent philosophy. Key Takeaways Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.” — Aristotle The Book in One Sentence There is no good or bad without us, there is only perception. There is the event itself and the story we tell ourselves about what it means.” — Ryan Holiday The Book in One Sentence

Voltaire was partially responsible for the French revolution and the improvement of political systems around the world. This one’s for nerds and philosophy geeks like me. Even modern translations still aren’t always super easy to understand, and you’ll have to reread sentences all the time. That said, there is something about reading an original text that makes it feel more special than even the best second-hand reporting. If you want to be able to claim you’ve actually read Aristotle, get yourself a copy of this book. Key TakeawaysThe concept of “preferred indifferents” can help you act in line with your morals without becoming extremist. While there isn’t always a clear and distinct answer to the many questions of philosophy, the entire field is a gateway to a higher sense of self. It gets you to think about all manner of things.